


Always Gotta Back Track

by Dresupi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 5+1 Things, Bad Excuses, Caught, Cedric Diggory Lives, F/M, Kissing, Minor Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Minor Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, POV Multiple, Secret Relationship, they have no chill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:09:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dresupi/pseuds/Dresupi
Summary: Hermione and Cedric think they're being sneaky, but they have no chill whatsoever.OR:Five times they didn't know they'd been caught and one time they did.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Hermione Granger
Comments: 18
Kudos: 77





	Always Gotta Back Track

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thestanceyg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thestanceyg/gifts).



> Happy Holidays, everyone!
> 
> This is my holiday gift to my lovely friend, thestanceyg. I hope she loves it and I hope everyone has a safe rest of 2020!
> 
> _I'd like to take the time to state that while I do dabble in her sandbox, I do NOT condone JKR's statements concerning trans women. Trans women ARE women. Trans men ARE men. Nonbinary identities ARE valid. Just because JKR wrote this book series, doesn't mean she gets to dictate how we perceive it, or how we enjoy it. If you found something in it that was good, or that made you feel good, know that it's valid. Regardless of the garbage she continues to spew. The fandom has always been the best part of this universe._
> 
>   
> 

** RON **

* * *

“Are you certain he’s gonna want to come out with us?” Ron asked as he and Harry approached the door.

The entrance to Cedric’s home was plain on the outside, but it hid the crazy within. Ron didn’t like thinking of someone who’d basically become one of his closest friends that way, but it was the truth. He’d been a bit barmy since Fourth Year. Not that Ron blamed him, but it was beside the fact. He was odd. More odd than Luna sometimes.

He gave nutty answers whenever someone asked him a question now. His responses usually sounded like they were from down the pitch and just random enough to muddle sincerity.

Like when the Daily Prophet had asked him why he’d given up on his perfect NEWT scores to become a baker. He told them the doughnuts were calling to him. What kind of answer was that?

Ron had been saying for a while that Cedric needed a woman. But all anyone had done was roll their eyes. “What?” he’d asked and Hermione had sniffed. 

_“That’s why we didn’t work out, you nutter. You thought I was free therapy.”_

_“Hey,”_ he protested. _“Hey now. I’ve apologized. We’ve moved past that, yeah?”_

_Yeah,”_ she’d acquiesced and reached over to ruffle his hair. It was her favourite thing to do and something Ron still sort of enjoyed. She was good at doing it without hurting him and leaving his scalp stinging.

There weren’t any feelings there anymore, but the friendship had recovered. That’s why he liked it. They’d recovered.

_“Speaking of,”_ he’d replied. _“You could do with a man.”_

_“Ronald,”_ she’d groaned and swatted him.

So now when Harry reached out to ring the bell on Cedric’s front door, Ron felt a bit on edge. What if his flat wasn’t cleaned? What if it was full of spiders? They’d never actually seen the inside. He’d always left them on the sidewalk before entering. Ron frowned as they stood there.

“Is he home?” he asked, peering in the window to no avail. Ced had them enchanted to simply show the reflection of the person peeping, but with crazy hair. All Ron saw was himself with a pair of gravity-defying pigtails. Just another nutter-crazy thing Cedric did.

Well, on second thought, it was probably to deter the newspaper photographers. While Ced was technically old news, they’d still come round to do a piece on him if it was a slow news week.

They did the same to Ron and Hermione.

Ron might ask him how to perform the enchantment for himself.

They were about to leave again when they heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and a series of locks sliding out of place before the door opened to reveal Cedric, rubbing his eyes as if he’d only just woken up. His hair was a mess and he was wearing a dressing gown.

Ron frowned when he spied the dressing gown. Scarlet. With cats. With teaching caps upon their heads.

It was the McGonagall dressing gown. The one Hermione had bought and Ron and Harry had teased her mercilessly for.

There was no way there was two of them.

Ron’s eyes widened as Harry greeted Cedric and asked him to come out for a bit of Quidditch.

Cedric rubbed the back of his head and yawned. “Think I can get a rain check, blokes? I just woke up.”

It was four in the afternoon, but he supposed with Cedric running his own bakery and having to be up at all hours, he due for a kip in the afternoon. 

But that dressing gown.

That was definitely Hermione’s. Or it looked a lot like it. The way it fit was tight too, barely covering his bare chest.

It was Hermione’s.

Which meant…

Ron smirked a little. Good for them.

“Perhaps another time?” Ron offered. 

Cedric gave him a warm smile. “Definitely. I have to defend my title as world’s best seeker.”

Harry chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”

“We will,” Cedric said, waving at both of them and closing the door to his flat.

As Ron and Harry made their way down to the sidewalk to apparate, Harry spoke. “That was the McGonnagall dressing gown Hermione has, wasn’t’ it?”

“Yep, the very same.”

“I’ve only seen her wear it once,” Harry said. “So I had to be sure. You know.”

Ron laughed. “Well, you’ve seen _him_ wear it once now as well.”’

“We’re certain that was a one of a kind original?” Harry asked.

Ron nodded. “No one else in their right mind would want that on a dressing gown but Hermione.”

“Okay then. Well. I guess they’re together.”

“Good for them,” Ron said. Out loud, this time.

“Here, here,” Harry replied and they both apparated away.

~~~~~

* * *

** HARRY **

* * *

He was doing a few last-minute cleaning spells when the doorbell rang. He sent all the dust out the windows and closed them all back once more before walking out to the foyer to answer it.

It had taken some doing, but Grimmauld Place was actually coming along. He’d dispatched most of the dark magic that kept the place so dreary and had given a sock to Kreacher to get him out on his own as well.

And after that, he and Ginny had really turned the old place around.

He pulled the door open and it squeaked loudly. It wasn’t one hundred per cent rid of all its old magic. He wasn’t able to figure out what made that door squeak. He’d used all the Muggle methods he could think of to remedy it, as well as all the wizarding ones, but the thing still squeaked like a chorus of dying mice every time it was opened.

Hermione was standing out on the stoop looking very bright-eyed and happy.

She’d been looking that way a lot lately, and he had an idea as to why. Evidenced by Cedric’s choice of clothing when he and Ron had gone to ask him to play a bit of quidditch the week before.

They’d actually played again a few nights later, but they just sent him an owl rather than calling at his flat. 

Now here was Hermione, clearly wearing Cedric’s old Hufflepuff scarf wrapped around her neck and head.

It was black and gold, with the little badger patch right there, front and centre. Harry attempted to tear his eyes away. She didn’t seem to notice him noticing the scarf. She likely didn’t know she was wearing it, now that he thought about it. For his part, he did try to draw her attention to it.

“Chilly out, eh?” he asked.

“Oh, truly,” she said with a laugh, reaching up to unwind the scarf from around her neck. She came inside and wiped her feet by the door, sending Cedric’s scarf, her coat, and rain boots to their respective places in the front room.

She followed Harry out to the kitchen, with not a word about the scarf, so Harry just dropped it. If she wanted to share anything, she would.

Hermione helped Harry cook a bit, as much as he’d allow. He still had nightmares about Hermione’s cooking while they were hunting Horcruxes, and while she insisted it was her lack of ingredients, he couldn’t get it out of his head.

“What time’s Ginny coming in?” she asked, pulling her legs up into the stool with her while Harry glanced quickly at the recipe in front of him.

“Should be any minute now,” he said, taking a look up at the clock on the wall. “Literally.” As if she’d heard him or something, the front door creaked loudly. “There she is now.”

Hermione smiled and they waited for Ginny to join them. 

“Oy,” she called. “Is Ced having dinner as well?”

Hermione’s eyebrows went up and all the colour drained from her face.

“Not to my knowledge,” Harry called. “It’s just Hermione.” He could practically see the wheels turning in Gin’s head. Could see the conclusion she was coming to. Could see it travel from her brain and down to her mouth.

Ginny came into the kitchen, opening her mouth to speak. Harry slid his finger across his throat multiple times to tell her to cut it out. They’d always been rather good at nonverbal communication, and he hoped to Merlin that they still were. 

He tilted his head towards Hermione multiple times. In an exaggerated way that hopefully conveyed his meaning. Which was that Hermione didn’t know they knew about Cedric. Hermione wasn’t facing him, so she wasn’t bearing witness to the ludicrous display that was Harry trying to convey through vague hand gestures all the knowledge within a few seconds. She was looking at Ginny, who bless her, thought quickly on her feet.

“Oh, I guess I must be mistaken. I thought that scarf out there was Cedric’s, but it must be yours, Hermione.” She laughed it off, but Hermione still looked like she was about to be sick.

“Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, am I right?” Harry laughed. “They’re such similar patterns. Who can tell the difference? Especially in that gloomy light in the foyer. I need to get your help looking at that, Hermione, while you’re here.”

The colour seemed to return to her cheeks when he mentioned needing her help.

“Help with what?”

“It’s a dark spell I’m not familiar with.”

“I find that hard to believe,” she laughed. “But of course I’ll have a look.” And with that, she turned back around, and Ginny came round to hug Harry.

“Close call,” she said softly.

“Too close, big mouth.”

“Oh you love my mouth,” she teased.

She was right. He did.

** ~~~~~ **

* * *

** PERCY **

* * *

It wasn’t strictly Ministry business, but Cedric had dropped off a bunch of boxes of doughnuts and iced buns on Percy’s floor and he knew for a fact that the floor above his own would like some of the extras.

Of course, as Percy reached the elevator, the doors opened to reveal his younger brother standing there, he almost walked right into him.

“Oy. Ron,” he said, holding the box up in the air to keep it from getting crushed between them.

“Sorry, Perce. Wait…are those doughnuts? From Cedric’s?“

“Not for you,” he said, holding them well out of reach. “I’m taking them upstairs to Hermione’s office. Figure she might want some. Cedric’s bakery makes really great iced buns.”

“I think Hermione’s gotten plenty of Cedric’s buns,” Ron muttered under his breath. 

“What was that?” Percy asked, frowning. “That’s not very nice to speculate… we’ve got no proof of that.”

Ron snorted. “Harry and I have plenty of proof.”

“Gossip, most likely...” Percy said with a sniff. “Hermione wouldn’t—“

“Look, I know you’ve got a slight crush on her or whatever, but—“

“I do not!” Percy squawked indignantly. Well, not a squawk per se. It was really more of a protest.

But Ron was wrong. He didn’t have a crush on Hermione Granger. Crushes were for schoolboys anyway. So if he _did_ have, it was long gone now. Working with her had cooled a lot of what had been romantic tension to merely frustration.

So, if she was with Cedric, well… blessings to both of them.

As they stepped out of the elevator, it only just occurred to him that Ron was tagging along.

“Did you come here to see me?” Percy asked.

“Yeah. Mum wanted me to invite you home for dinner this Sunday.”

“No, that’s alright,” Percy said flatly. “I’m busy.”

“C’mon, Perce. You know they’re sorry, right?”

“No, I don’t,” he said stiffly. “I don’t know that because neither of them has ever said it.”

“Percy…”

“Ronald,” he countered and they rounded a corner, almost running into the cupboard door as Hermione and Cedric burst out of it.

Her hair was mussed and Cedric was sporting a rather dark mark on his throat. And nothing put there by dark magic either. If position and size were any indications, it had been put there by Hermione’s mouth.

They stopped dead in front of them, Hermione’s face was horror-stricken, but Cedric’s was simply a goofy grin, and Percy couldn’t blame him.

“Oh um… we found a… Boggart in there. We dispatched it… are those for me?” she asked, looking down to the box of pastries.

“Yes, um…” Percy said, clearing his throat because there wasn’t any way she thought they bought that excuse, right?

“Cedric brought me some already, but thank you, Percy,” she said with a grin, reaching out to squeeze his wrist as she looked from him to Ron to Cedric. “Well. I suppose I should be off, then?”

“Hermione,” Cedric muttered. “Your blouse…”

She glanced down to see it was buttoned awkwardly. And not well at all.

“Oh, this… is just how this blouse is supposed to be worn, Cedric. Fleur sent it to me. It’s French.” She sniffed haughtily and moved away from them, nudging between Percy and Ron. Cedric smiled and made a quick exit as well.

Ron looked at Percy as if to say ‘ _I told you so’_.

“Don’t even say it,” Percy muttered, turning and walking back to the lifts with Ron.

“Okay, but Mum and Dad’s. We’re all going to be there. Even Charlie.”

“How nice for them,” Percy said shortly, reaching into the box to retrieve an iced bun.

“Perce.”

“Tell Mum to owl me herself and I’ll consider it,” he acquiesced.

That seemed to placate Ron, even if they both knew Percy wasn’t going to attend. 

“Okay, so what about Gin and Harry’s housewarming?” Ron asked, thankfully changing the topic.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll be there for that,” Percy replied. “Are we bringing gifts?”

“I dunno, I was gonna ask if you wanted to go in on something…”

“Owl Bill, Fleur’s getting them a gift certificate from some mail-order French furniture place she knows.”

“Perfect. Thanks, mate.”

“Anytime.”

** ~~~~~ **

* * *

** GINNY **

* * *

_“Ask her,”_ Harry mouthed over Hermione’s head. “ _Gin.”_

Ginny rolled her eyes. She couldn’t imagine Hermione would have a new bloke, let alone Cedric, without telling her first.

Harry was reading too much into things, most likely. Cedric had been an odd duck since they left school anyway, It was likely he just had the same bathrobe as Hermione did. Right?

Right.

Hermione waved her hand to set the table.

Of course, Ron and Percy’s story was difficult to decipher, but it all came down to Hermione being unable to keep a secret this juicy from her best friend. She just couldn’t. It wasn’t possible.

Ginny’s brow knit as she realized that she and Hermione hadn’t really had one of their girl’s days since she had moved in here with Harry.

Perhaps Hermione did have a bloke and she didn’t tell Ginny?

There was only one way to find out.

“So, Mione… I’m trying to finalize this guestlist for our housewarming party, and I thought I’d sit you next to Cedric, is that alright?”

“Cedric?” Hermione mused. “Diggory?”

“Yeah,” Ginny said, a smile tugging at her lips.

“I’m sure that will be fine. He might want to sit near Fleur, though. What with them being Triwizard Tournament members and all.”

“I’ll sit Fleur on the other side,” Ginny said, more unsure than ever if Hermione was with Cedric or not. She huffed a big breath and let it out before summoning another parchment from the buffet table drawer. “Okay, so the menu.”

Hermione wrinkled her nose, flicking her wand at the napkins, which folded into perfect swans. “I’m no good at this kind of thing, Gin.”

“I know, but I feel like we never talk anymore,” Ginny said, bringing her hand up to prop her chin upon. “What’s going on with you, Hermione? Tell me while I finalize this menu.”

“What’s the first course?” Hermione asked.

“You tell me first. Go on any hot dates?” Ginny waggled her eyebrows.

She guffawed. “Not lately. How about you?” she asked pointedly, tilting her head towards Harry in the other room.

“I mean, if anything, the dates slow down once you’re living together, but we did have a very romantic dinner at home the other night,” Ginny replied, smiling dreamily before remembering that she was on a mission and Hermione was a slippery as an eel when she didn’t want to talk about something. “You mean to say you’ve not been out with anyone?”

“I’m not sure what you want me to say,” Hermione laughed. “What’s the first course?”

“I’m going to try that pesto recipe you gave me… some homemade pasta and Fleur’s bringing a baguette, so I thought I’d do a salad—“

“Wait, the one with pine nuts?” Hermione asked.

“Yeah, that one. Can’t have pesto without them.”

“You can’t serve that.”

“Why not?” Ginny laughed.

“Because. Cedric’s allergic to tree nuts. You’ll have to make another sauce.”

“Oh well… that won’t be too difficult. I make very good bolognese.”

Hermione nodded tersely and folded her hands in front of her.

Ginny froze for a moment. _Wait._ She glanced back up at Hermione and narrowed her eyes. That wily little fox.

Just before she was acting as if she didn’t know _which_ Cedric next to whom Ginny was going to seat her, as if she had a long list of Cedrics that were in both of their acquaintance enough to be invited to the housewarming, and now she knew Cedric Diggory’s detailed medical history? His food allergies at any rate?

Hermione… she was _seeing Cedric_.

She _was_ staying over at his. She _was_ hooking up in cupboards at the MInistry.

_With Cedric Diggory._

Ginny hid her smirk and tapped the list with her index finger. “Do you think Cedric would bring dessert? He makes those profiteroles that Fleur loves.”

“You should ask him. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you told him in advance.”

“I suppose I should… I mean, he brings pastries up to the Ministry. Percy was just telling me about it. He saw him the other day up there dropping off iced buns and doughnuts.”

Hermione pursed her lips and nodded. “I suppose he does.”

Ginny nearly bit her lip in frustration. _Just tell me, Hermione!_ “Excuse me,” she said, rising to her feet to go join Harry in the kitchen.

“Yeah, she’s seeing him,” she said, keeping her voice low once she’d left Hermione’s earshot.

“She told you?”

“No, but she fucked up and I _know_.”

Harry smirked in that smug, self-satisfied way that Ginny was loath to admit she loved to see on him. “Told you.”

** ~~~~~ **

* * *

** FLEUR **

* * *

“Shhh, Victoire… chou-chou…” she crooned, patting her baby’s back as she bounced her daughter on her shoulder, resulting in a teeny belch and a sigh from Victoire. The poor dear had colic and this dinner party happened to take place during her usual colicky time.

“There now, mon cher…” Fleur summoned her diaper bag and made her way over to the sofa in the sitting room.

There were voices in the bathroom nearby, so she shushed Victoire again and gave her a pacifier to suck on while she changed her nappy.

“Well, I think we should tell people,” a male voice said. “I want people to know, don’t you?”

“I do,” a female said. Fleur recognized the female. It was Hermione. The male was recognizable as well, and it definitely wasn’t Ron, who was the only man she’d ever seen Hermione with. 

Not lately, however. She and Bill had talked extensively on the topic. Well, as extensively as Bill would talk about those things. Hermione had dumped Ron years before and he’d deserved it. It was something Fleur and her husband agreed upon.

Victoire squealed and Fleur grinned down at her child, sticking out her tongue and causing Victoire to giggle again.

“ _Cedric…_ ” Hermione pleaded, and then there was silence.

Fleur’s eyebrows raised and she smirked slightly. That certainly explained some things.

Like the furtive looks Ginny, Ron and Harry were giving the pair when they arrived at Ginny and Harry’s dinner party and sat down beside each other. It was as if they were awaiting some big announcement, which never came because the duo never even looked at each other for longer than it took to exchange pleasantries. But she’d have to watch them a bit more closely now.

“Are you ashamed of me?” Cedric asked, and Fleur frowned. She shouldn’t be listening to this. She was eavesdropping and shouldn’t.

She quickly redressed Victoire and cleaned the dirty nappy with a flick of her wand, sending the cleaned and folded cloth back into the diaper bag.

“No, of course not!” Hermione protested. “I just want this to be ours. If we tell everyone, it becomes theirs as well and I like having you all to myself…”

“Aw, Min…” he replied, sounding for all the world like he was leaning in to kiss her, and then there was silence. 

Fleur quickly gathered up Victoire and her bag, turning to leave when the door opened to the bathroom. She froze, unsure of where to go or what to say when she was discovered.

Hermione started walking out into the room, only to have Cedric pull her back in for another kiss, smiling as he pushed the door closed again behind her.

Fleur bounced Victoire and quickly left the room. 

** ~~~~~ **

* * *

** HERMIONE **

* * *

She sent Cedric back to the dining room ahead of her and remained behind in the loo to attend to her mess of curls that he’d run his fingers through and undone all the charm work she’d performed on them before leaving her flat.

After she’d tamed them back into some sort of semblance of order, she washed her hands and left the loo, walking back down the hall to the dining room.

The drinks had been made, her martini with two olives was sitting ready for her at her place setting. Everyone watched her when she sat down and she had to wonder if she’d forgotten something. Or accidentally had her secret written on her forehead or something.

_Just got done snogging Cedric Diggory in the guest bathroom._

But there was no way that was possible. Fred and George weren’t even attending this dinner party due to other obligations, so there would be no trickery this evening. She smiled and reached for her glass.

“What’d I miss?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m just trying to set Cedric up with Susan. He says they won’t get along, but I think he’s full of it. Tell him they’d get along, Hermione.” Ginny grinned and Hermione felt all the colour drain from her face. 

“Well, I mean… I’m sure Cedric knows who he’d be compatible with.”

“Opposites attract all the time,” Ginny replied. “I think he and Susan would be a great match.”

Cedric coughed. “I mean, I’ve never spoken more than two words to her before…”

“So here’s your chance,” Ginny said with a grin, reaching across the table and patting his hand. “I know you’re… _shy_ , but I think that’ll work with Susan. She’s very outspoken.”

Panic rose in Hermione’s throat and she fought not to look down at Cedric. She knew he was looking at her. Could feel his gaze on her skin. Normally, she liked it, but right now? Well, she still liked it, but it was tinged with guilt.

He had wanted to just come out with it. She should have listened to him. Could she let on that she agreed now? Would it look weird? The two of them having a conversation with their eyes right now, of all times? Possibly.

Not any weirder than the colour of purple she was fairly certain she’d turned the second she thought about Cedric being with someone else.

She wasn’t a jealous witch normally, but for some reason, this really and truly felt awful. Like an ice dagger to her stomach.

Remembering belatedly that she was holding her drink and should likely take a sip of it soon, she brought it to her lips and gulped, expecting water and remembering belatedly that it was a martini.

She coughed, feeling one of the olives lodge in her throat. She clutched her neck and tried to cough again. Nothing happened and panic flooded her veins. She stood up and rasped. Hermione felt a flurry of movement around her as someone cast an anti-choking spell, dislodging the olive and returning her vision and the air to her lungs.

It was Cedric’s voice she heard the loudest, his hand was in hers. “Min, are you alright?”

She turned and looked into his grey eyes and smiled. “Right as rain, love.”

He leaned forward immediately and kissed her full on the lips, and she just let it happen, sliding her hand into his hair and clutching him to her as everyone around them went absolutely silent.

“Fuck,” he said into her mouth. It was muffled, so she felt it rather than heard it. She sputtered with laughter and pulled away, trying to hide her mirth, but was unable to. She pressed a finger to Cedric’s lips before turning to everyone at the table.

“So…” she began, reaching for Cedric’s hand. He gave it willingly. “We’ve been seeing each other… for quite a while now.”

Ginny was the first one to speak up. She sighed, not out of irritation, but out of relief. “Hermione, we _know_. You two weren’t the best at hiding things…”

“You _all_ knew?” Hermione asked, looking around the table. “Ron, Harry?”

“Yeah…” Ron reached up to rub the back of his head. “I’ve known since we caught Cedric in your dressing gown a couple of weeks back.”

“And you wore his scarf to dinner a few nights after that,” Harry added.

“And we caught you in the cupboard at work,” Percy said, sniffing. “You really ought to be a bit more careful with your clandestine behaviour, Granger. _I’ll_ cover for you, but everyone won’t.”

Hermione clapped her hand over her mouth and laughed, doubling over. “Oh Merlin, I remember that day… you and Ron were both so laid-back about it, I thought perhaps you hadn’t seen.”

“No, we saw,” Ron said with a laugh. 

“I just heard downstairs,” Fleur said, bouncing Victoire on her hip. “I was changing her and I overheard you in the bathroom, I want you to know I think you’re both perfect for each other.” She smiled and Victoire hiccuped and reached for Bill.

“I can honestly say, I’ve known for the least amount of time,” he said, taking his daughter. “But I think it’s brilliant. Just brilliant.”

“And while we know you want to keep things for just you sometimes, we’d still like the opportunity to be happy for you… for you both,” Ron said, nodding to Cedric. “Can’t think of a better bloke for our Hermione, in fact. You are a bit… odd, but coming out of what you came out of… it’s actually not the worst thing?”

Hermione sighed. Ron was terrible with words and sentiment, but Cedric didn’t seem to be bothered by his words, so she took her queue from him.

“I mean, me either,” Harry added. “At first thought, it was weird, but upon closer inspection… you’re good for each other.”

Cedric grinned and spoke for the first time in the entire time they’d been standing there. “Thanks for the endorsement… I um… I’m really happy. She doesn’t seem to mind the weird. Or the out-of-the-blue bakery, or the fact that I steal her dressing gown... ” He smiled warmly at Hermione and her belly swooped as she rose on her tiptoes to kiss him.

“I am rather fond of him. I think I’ll keep him.”

“Thank Merlin,” Cedric said.

“See, I told you that a significant other would tone you both down,” Ron said, plucking a chicken leg from his plate and taking a bite. There was a collective groan and someone chucked a dinner roll at his head, which he caught deftly in one hand. He smirked. “Joke’s on whoever threw that. I needed a roll.”

Everyone returned to their seats, but Cedric pulled her close for one more kiss. “Was it as bad as you thought it’d be?” he asked.

“I didn’t think it’d be bad, I just didn’t want to share you.”

He snorted. “Fuck that, you don’t have to share. You’re priority number one, Min.” He held up his index finger and booped her on the nose. “Come sit down, I can’t wait to be a disgusting couple that gets asked to leave early.”

“Oh, is that the reason you wanted to tell everyone?” she teased as he pulled out her chair for her.

“I mean, it certainly was one of them. Darling.” He kissed her cheek and Ron tossed a half-eaten dinner roll at him. He plucked it up from his plate and inspected it.”This was unexpected. But definitely another one.” He gave Ron a grin before tearing a piece of the roll with his teeth and offering it to her.

She rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully. “Can I get another martini, Gin?”

“Just promise not to choke on it if I mention another woman’s name with Cedric’s, okay?” her friend teased.

“Okay, so I sort of deserved that,” she acquiesced, grinning and plucking the glass from the air as Ginny sent it over. “Enough of my drama, happy housewarming, Harry and Ginny!”

Everyone joined her in the toast, and she locked eyes with Cedric for a long moment. He was right, of course.

It was better with everyone knowing.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3 <3 <3


End file.
